Folding wagon-body



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUOIEN G.. LOOKE, OF HAVERHILL, OHIO.

FOLDING WAGON-BODY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,693, dated January 21, 1890. Application filed November 4, 1889- Serial No. 329,117. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, LUGIEN G. LOCKE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Haverhill, county of Scioto, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding or Collapsible WVagon-Bodies, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making partof this specification.

Myinvention relates to the construction of the body or box of a wagon, adapting it to be readily taken apart and folded into compact shape, when not in use, for transportation, and to be readily put together again when desired for use, and will be readily understood from the following description and claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective View of a wagonbody constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar View of one of the side-boards and the irons connected therewith detached. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom of the body. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the stay-irons detached, and Fig. 5 shows in elevation the adjusting bolts and hooks for securing the end-boards.

A and A indicate the bottom boards of the body, divided longitudinally into two about equal parts and provided underneath with transverse bars a, a, a and a extending the entire width of the bottom, and with their ends projecting and slotted or bifurcated to receive and engage the stay-irons, as will appear. These bars are secured alternately to the two parts of the bottom. Thus a and a are secured by suitable bolts or rivets to the parts A, and the alternate bars a and a to the parts A, all projecting laterally under the other part of the flooring to form supports therefor, as shown. Intermediate the end bars a and a, at proper points to engage the sand-board and .bolster, are secured parallel bars I) b, of a length conforming to the width of the halfbottom, arranged to abut against each other at their inner ends, and separated in pairs, as shown, to admit the sand-board or bolster between them, and thus hold the bottom when in place against end movement. The transverse bars a a, &c., have their ends bifurcated or slotted vertically at c to receive the stay-irons, and at the inner ends of said slots the bars are. secured against splitting, &c.,by angle irons or straps d, forming wear-plates extending across and around the bottom and sides thereof, and the outer edges of the parts A and A have angle-irons e secured to them, the vertical arms of which extend above the upper face of said parts or boards to engage the side-boards (indicated at B) and prevent their lateral or outward displacement.

The side-boards B have the stay-irons F and F firmly secured to them by suitable bolts or rivets, as shown. These stay-irons are made in the angular form shown in Fig. 4:,the upper end being preferably bent at a right angle and extending inward a distance conforming to the thickness of the side-board, and then bent downward again at a right angle, or nearly so, giving said end a hook form, (inclicated at f,) to adapt it to engage and firmly clasp the upper edge of said board. The lower end of the iron, which is made, preferably, of flat bar or strap iron, as shown, is twisted to a position at right angles to the body of the iron, as shown at f, and has its extreme end bent inward also at an angle of ninety degrees, or nearly so, to form a foot f siifliciently below the edge of the sideboard to pass under and engage the wear-plate cl, the part f entering the slot 0 in the ends of the bars a a, &c. Ordinarily the body of this stay-iron is set upright, as shown at F; but where for any reason the end of the sideboard is made sloping or curved, as shown at B, the adjacent stay-iron maybe made to conform thereto, as shown at F.

The side-boards are provided at their ends with the usual cleats g, to engage and retain the end-boards B and at or about the center of their vertical width are perforated to receive body-bolts or screw-threaded rods 71., to the inner ends of which hooks i are secured, which engage eyes 1', secured to the outer face of the end-boards B These bolts or rods it have thumb-nuts 7a, or nuts with short levers, on their outer ends, (see Fig. 5,) by the adjustment of which the sides can be drawn up IOO ter removed, the side-boards folded down upon their respective parts of the bottom board, and the latter placed one upon the other, if desired, for bringing the body into compact shape, either for storage or transportation.

The manner of setting up the body for use will be readily understood. The bottom is first put in position, either on the ground or on the running-gear of the wagon, between the 1 usual uprights thereon. The inner edges of the side-boards are then raised or turned up to cause the stay-irons to engage the bifurcated ends of the cross-bars, and the endboards are then put in place and secured by the hooks, 850., as stated, making the operation of folding or unfolding the body one of quick and easy accomplishment, aside from giving the body a very compact form. when folded.

Having now described my invention, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a folding wagonbody, of the longitudinally-divided bottom board provided with cross-bars having bifurcated or open slotted ends and secured alternately to the two parts of the bottom board, and side-boards provided with stay-irons having feet for engaging the slotted ends of the cross-bars, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the divided bottom board, the overlapping cross-bars rigidly secured to one part thereof and crossing the other and having bifurcated or open slotted ends and Wear-plates, and the side-boards with projecting cross-bars having slotted ends and with the angle-irons e, the side-boards 13, provided with angular stay-irons F, engaging said cross-bars, end-boards 13 having eyes i, and adjustable hooks and bolt h, for engaging and clamping said end-boards to the sideboards, as described.

5. The combination, in a folding wagonbody, of the divided bottom A A, provided With angle-irons e, projecting cross-bars having slotted ends, and parallel bars I) 1), arranged in pairs, the side-boards B, angular stay-irons F and F on said side-boards,engaging said cross-bars, and removable endboards 13*, secured to said side-boards, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of November, A. D. 1889.

.LUOIEN G. LOCKE.

Witnesses:

Jos. P. SHAW, N. D. NEWcoMB. 

